ASA Emerging Writers' and Illustrators' Mentorship Program 2017

The Australian Society of Authors (ASA) Emerging Writers’ and Illustrators’ Mentorship Program provides winners of these award mentorships with the opportunity to develop their early draft manuscript to a publishable standard through 13 free mentorships with professional mentors. Applications are assessed on literary and artistic merit and developmental potential.

Assessors will be selected and announced by the end of September 2016 and an updated list of mentors will be released by 3 October 2016. Entries will be accepted in the seven genres of fiction, non-fiction, poetry, graphic novels, young adult literature, children’s writing and picture book illustration.

The 2017 program will support 12 mentorships from any eligible genre, funded by the Copyright Agency’s Cultural Fund, plus one additional mentorship – the Edel Wignell Mentorship – for children’s writers. This mentorship is funded by the income from the acclaimed children’s author, Edel Wignell.

Successful applicants will work closely with a mentor selected from the ASA Mentors’ list for 25 hours over one year, with an additional two-hour consultation available following completion of the mentorship. A further five highly commended applicants will receive a two-hour phone consultation with a mentor they have selected from the ASA Mentors’ list.

Important dates

Entries open: 9am AEST on 14 October 2016Entries close: 5pm AEST on 11 November 2016Results will be announced: by 5 December 2016